MILLER J.

Air Fitter FAA/FX. 79858 John MILLER.

Royal Navy H.M.S.Ark Royal (91) Passenger on Aguila.

19 Aug 1941 aged 20.

Lee-on-Solent Memorial, Bay 2, Panel 3.

Son of Margaret Miller, of Heaton Norris, Stockport.

The Aguila was part of convoy OG-71 sailing from Liverpool to Gibraltar carrying 1288 tons of general cargo and 99 passengers. At 04.06 hours on 19 Aug 1941, Type VIIC U-201 (Oberleutnant Adalbert Schnee) fired four torpedoes at the convoy.

The Aguila (Master Arthur Firth) sank within 90 seconds after being hit by two torpedoes. Out of 168 on-board 153 were lost. The master, five crew members, one naval staff member and two passengers were picked up by H.M.S. Wallflower and landed at Gibraltar. Five crew members and one passenger were rescued by the Empire Oak, but five of them were lost when this ship was sunk by U-564 on 22 Aug. Another crew member was picked up by H.M.S. Campanula and was  landed at Gibraltar. The Ciscar was also sunk with 13 dead and 35 survivors.

Among the passengers on board the Aguila were 21 women from the W.R.N.S. who had volunteered for cypher and wireless duties in Gibraltar. None of the Wrens survived the sinking. As a tribute to their memory, a lifeboat named Aguila Wren was built and launched on 28 Jun 1952 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

S.S. Aguila (photo from Alchetron)